Narcotic consumption and trade have been part and parcel of Goa's coastal tourism since the hippie culture set in the State in the 60s, with European tourists flocking to Goa lured by its serene environment and pristine beaches. Over the years, Goa attained notoriety for drugs, with the north Goa coastal belt becoming the nerve centre of activity, thanks to the active involvement of foreigners, desi tourists and the tacit support extended by those within the system.
A good five years back, Goa saw a dangerous trend of locals actively engaging in selling smaller quantities of drugs to make a quick buck. Statistics revealed by the Goa Police on the eve of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking showed that every fourth person arrested for drugs has turned out to be a local. Around 403 persons have been detained since January 2021 for possession of drugs, out of which 103 were Goans.
Interestingly, on Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant pointed to a decline in drug-related offences based on the seizures made since 2021. Drawing a positive conclusion based on drug seizures would be far-fetched, and it would be too immature to conclude that drugs are moving away from Goa only based on those statistics. Add to this a below 5 per cent conviction rate that cuts out a sorry picture against all the hype of deterrents being put in place.
The claim by police bosses that tourists are visiting the State for its beaches is a myth and has been conveniently used to soften the blow inflicted on enforcement over failures.
We must admit that beaches no longer remain the star attraction of the State, given the fact that several other destinations offer better locales. And it would be playing a bluff to argue that drugs, casinos, sex and sleaze are not the selling points of Goa's tourism.
The problem is that we continue to comfort ourselves with vague figures that conceal more than what is revealed. Our system is in denial and falsely believes that awareness will change things. Sporadic campaigns will not change much because indulging in drug dealing has become a conscious choice, and our tourism heavily depends on it.
The State has to deal with the issue holistically and be prepared to embrace the consequences. Like it or not, drugs are integral to tourism, just like liquor and casinos. A casual visit to the north's coastal hub would testify to this. As much as liquor has been associated with tourism, so are drugs.
An area of concern, however, is an increasing number of locals getting into the drug trade and the menace now covering areas beyond the coast. Several raids have found the involvement of Goans. In a recent raid in Delhi where sleuths netted the largest-ever LSD haul, one of the six arrested was a Goan. It is here that the government has to do some soul-searching. Unemployment and the lure of fast money have been driving youth to the drug trade leading to increasing societal pressure. In pursuit of business, the State may end up scarring a generation.
